Legends of Lightstorm Saga 1 Episode 4: Goddess of War
by Mutrox
Summary: The two-bodied creature known as Zoisite has been tasked with hunting down unactivated Sailor Scouts. Serena and Luna search for the remaining Scouts affected by the Emergency Temporal Shift, and Jason begins training the newly-activated Sailor Mercury.
1. Prologue: Somniliscension

Jason awoke in a cold sweat, his heavy breathing echoing in the darkness. He sat up, forcing open his fist that had clenched the sheet into a tight wad. Gradually his breathing slowed, but he didn't lie back down.

The moon shined in through the windows of the base, its light gleaming off the weapons and equipment scattered across various tables. In the deep shadows stood his armor, a silent sentinel over this darkened world. On one of the tables a few computers blinked quietly, waiting to be repurposed into something useful.

Something was burning. Jason turned and looked the bed, running his fingers across the fabric of the sheets. Ash crumbled away from the cloth.

Jason stood and walked over to one of the large windows, feeling the cool night air brush across his skin. He was naked, a habit he had picked up from his exile. He didn't dress himself when he slept in order to cut down on his laundry. Over the years he had learned to appreciate the sensation of the night air on his body, and now he needed it more than ever.

The nightmares had started again. Almost every night they crawled forth from his subconsciousness, tearing at his mind while he tried to rest. More often than not they jolted him back to reality in the middle of the night, his heart racing and the taste of blood in his mouth. He hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in weeks, and it was beginning to wear on him.

His exile had done one thing for him that nothing else could: it gave him peace (or as much peace as one could expect for someone like Jason). The nightmares hadn't come very often, and when they had, they were easily dispelled. Often Jason managed to calm himself by taking a midnight swim in the lake, or by sleeping on the lake in a boat he had made. But here in the city, in the midst of a cosmic struggle between the Sailor Scouts and the Negaverse, the nightmares had returned with a vengeance. Now they were so strong that Jason had been trying to transform in his sleep.

The phenomenon was known as somniliscension. It was very rare back in the old days, but it wasn't unheard of. Among the Justice Champions, somniliscension was often automatically negated due to the Champions' need for Transformation Assistance Generators. Without such devices, most Champions could not transform. However, rare individuals with sufficient willpower could overcome such limitations and transform at will, obviating TAGs. The drawback was that occasionally their subconscious minds took over during sleep, resulting in Champions transforming into Combat Mode during the night without realizing it and having to manually revert to Ground State in the morning. Although this experience was at most slightly annoying for most Champions afflicted, Jason was a different story.

Jason's inability to transform produced an interesting but ultimately useless phenomenon wherein his body redirected a small amount of energy throughout itself, discharging onto nearby surfaces. In a perfectly healthy Champion, this energy would cascade through the user's system, completely restructuring his or her physiology. The end result was Combat Mode, an upgraded form that gave the user access to his or her powers. But Jason's ability to transform had long since deserted him. He possessed the willpower to execute the act, but the process simply would not function. He made a conscious effort not to dwell on it, but sometimes, seeing the Sailor Scouts transform so easily out of their Ground States, it got to him.

Jason closed his eyes. He spoke his old incantation, the old phrase he had used so long ago to activate his TAG, and concentrated. The energy rushed through his body, bringing with it the familiar stinging sensation. Shadows were cast for a brief moment as the energy crackled over his skin. But just as before, the energy quickly died and faded away, leaving nothing but a dull pain and a sour taste in his mouth.

Tightening his eyelids, he focused his thoughts. He would not allow himself to dwell on it. He would accept defeat and move on. He would not allow himself to think about what might have happened, about how he had been before…

After several minutes, he relaxed and opened his eyes. It had passed. The world was as it should be. He looked at a digital clock he had stolen from a rapist he murdered. It was six hours until sunrise. He looked back at his bed where he could still smell the charred sheets. Concluding that he probably wouldn't get any more sleep that night, he sat down at a workbench and began working on an unfinished shuriken.


	2. A New Day

"For the last time, Serena, WAKE UP!"

Serena groaned and rolled over, pulling the blankets over her head. "It's too early…"

"It's 11:43, and we should have started hours ago!" Luna jumped up on the bed and crawled up next to Serena's head. "You wouldn't be so tired if you hadn't stayed up until 2 in the morning watching Netflix on your laptop!"

"They just posted the new season of 'Indirect Current'," Serena moaned into the pillow.

Luna sighed. "Amy and Jason were up and about hours ago. If they can drag themselves out of bed at breakfast time, so can Sailor Moon!" Serena made another moaning noise.

This was going nowhere. Thinking for a moment, Luna jumped off the bed and went over to a pile of clothes on the floor. A minute later she located Serena's TAG. Picking the device up in her mouth, she jumped back up on the bed. Attaching the device to the side of Serena's head, Luna stared hard at it. A beam of energy projected from the crescent symbol on her forehead, interfacing with the device.

Instantly, Serena's body was transformed by the TAG, rewritten into the legendary Sailor Moon with a burst of energy.

"Hey!" Serena sat up, suddenly wide awake. "What was that for?"

"You weren't listening to me."

"I didn't even know you could do that." Serena pulled the TAG off her head, reverting to her Ground State.

"Well, now that you're awake, get dressed and eat lunch. We have a very important mission today."

Amy walked through the abandoned building, careful to avoid the garbage that littered the floor. Shifting her bag, she pressed on into the structure.

So this was where the being once known as Lightstorm was living these days. Luna had given her the basics on him the day she activated, once the initial shock had worn off. She had told her that Jason was a former soldier of the Moon Kingdom, but for some reason had been evasive when questioned further. Regardless of his past, Luna had impressed on her that he was an irreplaceable source of knowledge and experience, and it was important to speak to him as soon as possible. Conveying the location of Jason's home, Luna insisted that she see him as soon as possible. And now that Amy had found time in her schedule, she had decided to meet with the former hero.

Jason sat at a workbench, joylessly assembling a computer module. He looked up when Amy entered the spacious chamber. "Luna told me to expect you."

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner. Accessing the higher floors was more difficult than I anticipated."

Jason nodded, putting down his tools. He walked around the workbenches. "Let's begin."

At his instruction, Amy fished her TAG out of her pocket. "Mercury Power!" Instantly she became Sailor Mercury.

Jason cast a discerning eye over her Combat Mode. Although he concealed his thoughts, he was disappointed in the similarities between Sailor Mercury and Sailor Moon. He had been hoping for at least some armor or weapons, but he said nothing about it.

"Is something wrong?"

"I noticed you're not storing your TAG properly."

"What do you mean?"

"The TAG you're using is an Entanglement Device, meaning that it is bound to your physical structure. As long as you are in direct contact with it, you can dispel it at will. Once you dispel it, you can summon it again at any time. This prevents the device from getting lost or damaged when not in use." He showed Amy how to dispel the device and summon it again.

Jason proceeded to instruct Sailor Mercury in the manipulation of her powers. "Your cryokinesis cannot be thought of as a separate facet of your Combat Mode, nor can it be thought of as a 'primary' method of attack. It must be considered an inseparable component of your personal fighting style that combines all of your skills and abilities."

He led Sailor Mercury through a complex series of exercises designed to help her gain finer control of her abilities, each more strenuous than the last. Under his instruction, Mercury discovered that her Combat Mode also possessed an AR visor equipped with a wide range of computer tools. The visor proved invaluable when fighting, providing crucial tactical information in real time.

When they rested, Jason began instructing her in Moon Kingdom science. "Science," he explained, "did not advance in the Moon Kingdom the way it has advanced on Post-Desolation Earth. Much more emphasis was placed on energy manipulation, allowing for a wide range of applications." He demonstrated by writing out a series of differential equations for generating a simple effect with a basic energy type. Mercury took out a notebook as the next lesson began.

Zoisite walked down a busy street, examining the people and structures it passed. Thanks to the demands of the Negaverse for its services, it had been many years since it had been on Earth. Now it was wishing it had never returned. The air tasted fouler, the people smelled worse, and the noise was almost unbearable.

Zoisite's female body glanced at a handheld scanner she retrieved from her pocket. No activity yet. She put it back in her pocket, sighing in irritation.

Unactivated Sailor Scouts had no means of directing their powers, meaning that their energy patterns fluctuated out of control until they learned to transform and control their abilities. Unfortunately, the Negaverse lacked the resources to detect them over long distances, so Beryl had entrusted Zoisite with combing the human city in search of the Scouts before they could be activated. It was no small task, and although Zoisite had wanted Jadeite's job of collecting energy, killing Sailor Scouts was almost as fun.

Zoisite's male body studied a small map of the city. He carefully marked locations already searched, and finished detailing a search pattern to optimize the investigation. With a few final thoughts on humans and their revolting habits, he put away the map, and both bodies pressed on down the street with renewed determination.


	3. The Discovery of the Temple

Serena trudged down the street, peering in every shop window she passed. Beside her padded Luna. The black cat stared ahead resolutely, eyes almost unblinking. Her failure to recognize Sailor Mercury was still fresh in her mind, and she was determined not to repeat the mistake.

"Ooh that looks cute!" Serena moved to go into one of the stores. Luna growled. She grabbed Serena's sock in her teeth, causing Serena to trip. "Ow! What was that for!?" Luna meowed angrily, not daring to speak. "Oh, fine." Serena got back up and walked out of the store.

"Hey, Serena!"

Serena turned. "Hey Molly! What's up?"

"Nothin'. Just window shopping."

"Find anything good?"

"Not yet, but I'm gonna head up to the Sacred Temple next. I hear they're got a great sale on love charms and stuff like that. Want to come?"

"Sure!" Without a second of hesitation, Serena and Molly started walking to the temple, chatting enthusiastically. Luna watched them go, fuming silently. She considered running after Serena and meowing at the top of her lungs, but she didn't want to risk attracting unnecessary attention. Sighing, she bounded after Serena and Molly.

The Sacred Temple of Cherry Hill was a tranquil, spacious place at the top of a set of stone stairs. Molly and Serena passed a trio of laughing girls as they headed up. Serena noticed they were very some rather attractive wrist charms. As they continued up the stairs, they failed to notice a figure lurking in the shadows, clutching a small device in one hand.

"So, back for more, eh?" A boisterous voice asked friendlily. Serena and Molly looked down.

Before them stood a short, elderly man dressed in white temple robes. A wide, friendly smile was spread across his face as he greeted them enthusiastically.

"Grandpa, why won't you get that eye exam?" A second voice inquired. Serena turned toward the speaker.

A tall girl slightly older than Serena had appeared beside the old man, dressed in similar robes. Her calm, serious eyes seemed to sweep through Serena, seeing all. Her flowing dark hair rivaled Jason's hair in terms of darkness, but her hair had a beautiful sheen to it (the dark part of Jason's hair, on the other hand, seemed to actively suck in light from its surroundings). Serena found herself admiring the girl's appearance.

"I can see just fine!" the old man proclaimed proudly.

"Those aren't even the same girls you were just talking to." The old man just laughed heartily.

Down near the bottom of the stone stairs, concealed in the shrubbery, the mysterious figure entered a command into the device nestled in his palm.

The older girl stiffened. "Something's wrong!" She twisted her head to the side. "I can feel it! Evil is near!" Swiftly she pulled a piece of paper inscribed with glyphs out of her pocket. "BEGONE!" She slammed the piece of paper onto Serena's forehead. The last thing Serena remembered was falling backward before blacking out.

"Enough."

Amy looked up from her notebook. "Are you sure? I can keep going."

"We've covered more than enough material for today. Return when you can."

Amy stood up from the ice chair and desk she had made with her powers. Summoning her TAG, she reverted to Ground State with a quick utterance of "Mercury Reversion." She gathered her things and began putting them away in her bag. "Moon Kingdom science is more complicated than I thought it would be."

"What I passed on to you today hasn't even scratched the surface of what I've learned. I gained my knowledge over the course of several centuries, and I can only teach you so much at once."

"How exactly did you learn all of this? Luna said you were a soldier, not a scholar."

"I did a lot of reading on my own time."

Amy nodded understandingly. She thanked Jason and turned to leave. Before she exited, she noticed something. The sheets on Jason's bed were blackened and burnt. "What happened to your bed?"

Jason paused just a moment too long before answering. "Lab accident. I was testing some new equipment and suffered an unexpected discharge."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm unhurt, but I appreciate your concern."

After Amy left, Jason looked back at the bed. Replacing the sheets was getting expensive. He walked over to a concealed compartment and pushed aside a metal panel. From the compartment he drew a black garbage bag. Taking it to a workbench, he upended the bag and counted the loose bills he had stored in it. He already knew how much money he had, but he counted it again to be sure.

The equipment he had bought had significantly drained his funds. He had expected this, but the anticipation hadn't made it any less irritating. He looked out one of the windows. Living in the city had worsened his sleeping patterns, but the metropolis one advantage he knew how to exploit: cities meant crime, and crime meant resources.

Making up his mind, he began strapping on his armor and weapons. Moving about in the daylight was far harder than moving at night, but he needed the money, so he decided to deal with it. He picked up his staff from a nearby weapon rack, giving it a good twirl. He allowed himself to feel a small amount of satisfaction as he felt the staff's exotic construction amplifying the kinetic energy of its movements. With one last check of his gear, he headed for the exit. Maybe killing and looting the drug dealer down the street would prove mildly entertaining.


	4. Anomaly

"Look, she's waking up!"

Serena moaned, feeling a throbbing pain crashing through her forehead. She tried to sit up, but collapsed back onto the bed almost immediately.

"Are you okay? I'm really sorry about that." It was the dark-haired girl. She was leaning over the bed with a wet washcloth, looking concerned.

"It's cool. I've had worse." Serena replied.

"I don't get it. My senses have never lied to me before, but this time they were wrong."

"Huh?"

"Sometimes I get these visions. They let me know when something's wrong. Well, most of the time. I'm Raye, by the way."

"My name's Serena." The two shook hands. "Hey, has anyone seen my cat?"

At that very moment, Luna was carefully stalking through the temple, every sense straining for the slightest hint to danger. After making sure Serena was okay, she had left to investigate something. She sensed something was amiss, and it wouldn't do to be caught unprepared.

The Temple and the surrounding area were alive with a strange sort of energy, as if the air itself was charged with static electricity. It was unnoticed by most people, but certain individuals such as Luna could detect energy fluctuations in the world, and the Temple was one of the most active places she had ever encountered. Even stranger was the fact that energy fluctuations usually emanated from beings, not locations.

Could this be a hidden base of Negaverse activity? Luna hadn't sensed anything unusual about either Raye or the old man, but it wouldn't be the first time the Negaverse had managed to deceive her. She contemplated calling Jason, but decided not to for the time being. Mercury's training took priority. With that in mind, she pressed on through the Temple, determined to find the source of the energy.

"Here are the fresh washcloths you wanted," a male voice said. Serena, Raye, and Molly, all turned. In the doorway was a tall, thin male figure carrying a tray.

"Thank you. Just set them down over there." Raye told him.

"Let me know if you need anything else." The door slid shut behind him.

"Who was that?"

"That's Joss, our new caretaker," Raye told Serena. "Grandpa just hired him to help run things around here. Turns out he had a bunch of new ideas for running the place, and now business has really picked up."

The three proceeded to discuss the temple and its operations. As they talked, they didn't notice Luna lurking just outside the door, listening to every word. Her eyes narrowed as she heard about the new caretaker. She turned and bounded away.

Once outside, she crawled under some bushes in a secluded corner of the property. After making sure no one was around, she activated her communication collar.

Grey gun smoke choked the air. Bodies littered the floor, shattered by powerful impacts. Blood pooled on the concrete floor in great puddles. A lone survivor with his legs shattered tried crawling away.

A powerful hand reached down and grabbed him. With a cry of terror, he was thrown through the air, landing in a pile of body parts. In too much pain to even scream, he saw a black figure standing over him. The figure reached down and picked him up with one arm, lifting him so far into the air that his useless legs didn't even touch the ground.

"What do you want," he begged, tears streaming down his face.

"You are guilty," the figure said solemnly, tightening its grip.

"I'm not a bad guy. I've just made some mistakes."

"Filling the streets with corruption, drugs, and fear is a very big mistake." In his other hand he held an exotic-looking combat knife. "One I plan to correct." He held the knife in front of the man's face, its bloody tip less than a millimeter from his eyeball.

"No… PLEASE!"

Suddenly Jason felt something vibrating in his pocket. Time froze for a moment. Then, with one smooth move, Jason swung the knife away from his victims and through his throat, spilling forth a crimson torrent.

As his victim thrashed in his death throes on the concrete, Jason walked away with his phone in hand. "You're interrupting my training session."

"Is Sailor Mercury with you?"

"I sent her away some time ago."

"You sent her away? Nevermind. There's something strange going on at the Temple of Cherry Hill and I need your expertise to find out the cause. Do you know where it is?"

"Yes."

"Good. I need you as soon as possible. I'll have Mercury meet you here." Luna hung up.

Jason stepped over a bloody mess that had once been a thug. He retrieved a canvas bag filled with money and took one last look around at the destruction. Then he headed for the roof. Luna didn't sound like she was in danger, so he was in no hurry. First he would go home and clean up his armor and equipment. Only then would he go and meet the cat.

Zoisite stalked down the street, getting frustrated. Both bodies had methodically combed a good portion of the city, and the scanner hadn't revealed the slightest trace of a dormant Sailor Scout. The male body ground his teeth in anger just thinking about it.

This was why Zoisite had been lobbying for Jadeite's job. Gathering energy was simple, easy, and often fun. But no, Beryl had seen fit to assign both bodies to various other tasks in assisting the Negaverse. Zoisite suspected she favored Jadeite for some reason best left unthought of, although it failed to see what Jadeite possessed that its male body could not offer the queen.

Both bodies sighed in frustration. The female body glanced at the scanner once again, hoping for a change. Surprisingly, the scanner detected something.

Before it stood a beautiful temple atop a flight of stone stairs. Zoisite scanned more closely. There was some sort of activity in this area, but it wasn't the type of energy fluctuations given off by a dormant Sailor Scout. The female body put the scanner away angrily, and the male body looked around for something to kick.

Zoisite noticed a small group of girls descending the stairs. They seemed annoyingly happy for some reason. The male body noticed that they were wearing some attractive charms on their wrists, apparently having just gotten them.

Zoisite considered. So far the day had been a fruitless disaster. But maybe something could be done in consolation. One or two of those charms would look nice on its female body.

The female body handed the scanner to the male body. The male body wordlessly took it and continued on down the street. The female body watched him go. Zoisite didn't like dividing its bodies because doing so halved its strength. But there was no immediate indication of a threat, so the female body headed up the stairs without another thought.


	5. Familiar Faces

"And over here is the training room."

Do you ever get any hot guys in here?" Molly asked, looking around the room.

"Not really." Raye admitted. "It's mostly just for me and my grandpa."

Raye was giving Serena and Molly a tour of the temple. Serena had gotten bored a few rooms back, but managed to hide it. Years of not paying attention in school resulted in the ability to continue to look interested, but allow one's mind to focus elsewhere. And at that very moment, she was busy daydreaming about Tuxedo Mask.

Everything about him was perfect. The way he vanquished foes with one perfect throw, the way he twirled his cane and swept away the enemy in a single stroke, the way he ran into battle beside her and made her feel that everything would be alright…

Somewhere in the back of her mind was the tiniest hint of doubt. There was something familiar about him; something lurking past the mask.

From deep in her memory she could see the day she and Jason had broken into Amy's home. She could see Darien sitting at that table, drinking his coffee. And she could hear Jason's voice as clearly as the day he had spoken: "He's Tuxedo Mask".

No, that was impossible. Tuxedo Mask was a hero in every sense of the word. He ran into combat beside her. He risked his life to pull her out of the fire when she was down. He always backed her up no matter how ugly the odds were.

Darien was a different story entirely. The creepy SOB always seemed to show up no matter where she went or what she happened to be doing. And no matter the circumstances, he always had a witty remark that could completely ruin her day. She could almost hear his taunting voice right now: "Watch out for that wall, Meatball-Head!"

SLAM!

Serena stumbled backwards and fell down.

"Serena!" Molly rushed over. "Are you okay?"

"Who put that wall there?" Serena asked weakly.

Zoisite's female body wandered across the temple property. The atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant, a welcome change from the stress Zoisite's other body was experiencing. For a moment, Zoisite considered blowing off today's mission and allowing both bodies to relax here for awhile.

Movement caught her eye. Someone was sweeping dust. Zoisite almost resumed enjoying herself, but something made her pause. Something was familiar about him.

She started walking toward him. He noticed her and started to move away. Zoisite picked up the pace. As she closed in, she recognized him. "Jadeite?"

Jadeite spun around and grabbed Zoisite. Swiftly he pulled her into a darkened storage area and closed the door behind them.

"I can't decide whether to laugh at you or give you my sympathy," Zoisite said amusedly.

"Are you trying to blow my operation!?" Jadeite demanded.

"That does sound entertaining."

"Let's see how entertaining it is when I tell Queen Beryl that you screwed up my operation and cut off the supply of energy."

Zoisite smiled wryly. "You don't really think she'd get rid of me, do you? I can do twice as much as you can without even trying. If I wanted, I could have my bodies sleep in turn and never stop serving our queen. If anything, she'll blame you for being an incompetent idiot."

"I might not have two bodies, but I serve the Supreme One in ways your twin brains can't even imagine."

"Oh, really? Like what you and she do when the rest of us are sleeping?" Jadeite said nothing. "That's right. I've seen you go to her chambers when you think no one is watching. Funny, how she always calls for water and fresh sheets after you leave a few hours later." There was death in Jadeite's eyes as he ground his teeth. "Of course, I could do so much more if she wasn't hung up on me having two bodies. Maybe if my female body was unconscious…"

Jadeite punched her in the throat. Zoicite crashed into the wall, scattering cleaning supplies. She reopened her trachea and laughed. "You're so smart you respond by punching your problems until they go away. Has the queen ever taken advantage of that talent?"

"Get off this planet, you telepathic freak," Jadeite seethed. "While you're playing hide-and-seek with underpowered meatbags, I'm servicing the Supreme One-"(Zoisite giggled immaturely)"-by gathering energy to unleash the Negaforce."

"And you're doing such a good job of it so far. What idiotic scheme have you cooked up this time?" Jadeite told her his plan. Zoicite laughed again, so hard that her female body doubled over. A few miles away, her male body broke into raucous laughter as well, drawing looks from nearby humans. "THAT'S your plan? How many hours did it take you to convince the queen to let you do this?"

Jadeite backhanded her and stormed out. "You'd better not be here when I get back," he warned. As he stalked away, he could still hear Zoisite's laughter.


	6. Second Opinions

Amy and Jason walked up the stone stairs to the temple. "Do you think this could be a Negaverse safe house?" Amy asked, looking around.

"If it is, it's one of the most bizarre safe houses I've ever seen. We shouldn't be receiving this level of energy fluctuations, if any at all." Jason glanced at a makeshift pocket scanner he had been working on for a few weeks.

"Any idea what could be causing this?

"Anomalies like this are usually generated by powerful entities. However, if that were the case, we would be able to pinpoint the exact source of the disturbance. In this instance, the anomaly seems to be emanating from a region of space and time."

"So let's find out why."

Jason's scanner spiked when they reached the top of the stairs. "Thank goodness you're here," Luna called, bounding out of the bushes. "I've found something you should see."

She led them into the temple, quietly bringing them up to speed. Jason's scanner started registering more and more energy as they progressed through the hallways. After a minute, Luna led them to a room containing a gigantic flame on a shrine. Raye was telling Serena and Molly about it, having arrived only moments before.

"The Sacred Flame is the most important artifact in the entire temple," she explained. "It's the source of the mystical energy that- oh, hello." She noticed Jason and Amy. "Can I help you?"

"We're friends of Serena's," Jason replied smoothly. "We heard about this place and it piqued our interest."

"Well, you're welcome to join us. I was just telling your friends here about the temple. I'm Raye, by the way."

"Jason." They shook hands. Amy introduced herself and also shook Raye's hand.

Raye proceeded to tell them about the Sacred Flame and what it meant to the temple. As she spoke, Jason surreptitiously scanned the flame with his scanner. Then he scanned it again. There was no doubt: the fire was at the core of the anomaly.

After a time, Raye started to lead them away into another part of the temple. Jason asked if he could stay for a few minutes, careful to modulate the resonance patterns in his voice. He expressed a desire to look at the Flame for another minute, as he found it strangely beautiful. Raye nodded, seeming pleased that someone was taking an interest. Amy asked to stay behind as well.

When their friends had gone, Jason turned his scanner to a higher intensity and scanned the Flame again. "Assessment."

"There's something unnatural about that Flame," Amy observed, looking closely at it. "Hold on." She summoned her TAG and transformed into Sailor Mercury. Using her visor, she performed a detailed 12-dimensional scan of the Flame. "According to my sensors, the Flame is located at the center of the anomaly, and it's interacting with it somehow, but it doesn't seem to be the source of it."

"Does it appear dangerous?"

"Not at the moment. But…" She sped through the readings on her visor. "Prolonged exposure to this anomaly can't be good for a person. If Raye's been here for long…"

"She could be dying." Jason strode out of the room without another word. Amy followed him after reverting to Ground State.

They found Raye, Serena, and Molly sitting in front of the temple, chatting amiably. Jason walked up to them. Serena looked up. "Hey, is this place cool, or what?"

"It's definitely interesting," Jason agreed, perfectly modulating his voice to sound happy and curious. "I'm curious, Raye. How long have you-" He stopped. Something caught his eye.

A short distance away, a woman was relaxing in the shade. There was a pleasant smile on her face, as if she didn't have a care in the world. And something about her caused Jason to tense.

"How long have I what?" Raye asked in confusion.

"I'll ask later." Jason stepped around them and walked over the woman. He hoped it wasn't who he thought it was, but his gut told him he was right. Mentally he reviewed his arsenal of hidden weapons.

The woman looked up as he approached. "Hey pal, I was here first. Go find your own-" She paused in shock. "YOU!"

"Hello, Zoisite."


	7. Grudge Match

BOOM!

Zoisite's fist slammed into Jason chest. Jason flew backward. Effortlessly he flipped in midair and landed on his feet.

The girls twisted around. Serena spotted Zoisite. Her eyes widened. "Run, Molly!"

"YOU KILLED MY THIRD BODY!" Zoisite roared. She surged forward, eyes blazing with fury. Jason spun to the side, deploying his staff. With all his strength, he brought the weapon down on the back of Zoisite's head with a deafening crack.

Zoisite's head slammed into the ground. Her inertia carried her forward, causing her stunned body to crash into a stone wall.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Jason ordered, tearing away his clothes to reveal his armor. As the girls ran, he pulled on his mask and gloves. Activating his grapple gauntlets, he charged forward before Zoisite could recover.

The girls ran inside the temple. "WHAT WAS THAT!?" Molly shrieked, close to hysteria.

"Whatever it is, it must be what I sensed earlier," Raye concluded, growing angry. "And I won't let evil violate this temple!"

Serena and Amy slipped away while Molly kept Raye distracted. They dashed around a corner.

"MOON PRISM POWER!"

"MERCURY POWER!"

In a blinding flash of energy, Serena and Amy ceased to exist, and in their places stood the mighty Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury.

Outside, Jason dodged and rolled with the skill of a world-class gymnast, expertly avoiding Zoisite's attacks. Zoisite madly charged at him, unleashing a flurry of blows in an attempt to beat him into submission. Jason danced away, deflecting every blow with a twirl of his staff.

A wall of ice slammed into Zoisite, knocking her off her feet.

"!"

The sonic blast tore into Zoisite, rattling her bones and sending her flying. "That's for attacking my friends, Nega-Creep!" Sailor Moon shouted. Zoisite slumped to the ground, motionless.

Zoisite's male body dived down out of the sky. Jason spotted him, whipping around and blasting him with an explosive shuriken before he could reach Sailor Moon. He crashed into the ground, screaming in agony. Mercury immobilized him with an ice blast.

"What's going on?" Raye demanded, running out to meet them. Who are you people?"

"I am Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice!" Sailor Moon proclaimed heroically. "I stand for love and justice! I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means them!"

"And I am Sailor Mercury, Champion of Ice!" Mercury declared, following Sailor Moon's lead.

Raye turned to Jason. Jason looked back evenly. "I'm a friend."

Zoisite's female body forced itself to its knees. She noticed Jadeite watching amusedly from the side. Knowing she would regret it, she called, "Enjoying the show Jadeite?"

The heroes whipped around. Jadeite's surprise showed plainly on his face, even through his disguise. Sailor Moon pulled off her tiara.

"DRONE, ATTACK!" Jadeite ordered, running away. Instantly, a Negaverse drone materialized. Raye chased after Jadeite and the drone powered up.

Sailor Moon threw her tiara. Mercury surged forward, blasting her ice beam. Jason flung a shuriken. The creature dodged the blasts, leaping high into the air. It formed a thick shield from its carapace and came crashing down. The heroes dived out of the way just in time.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Both of Zoisite's bodies wrenched themselves from the ground. Wiping away the blood, they dashed into the air and swooped in for an air attack.

_ZHING!_

A razor-sharp projectile slashed across the male body's face. He spiraled out of the sky and crashed. The female body whirled around. A cane handle smacked her in the face. Tuxedo Mask twisted around in midair, using the body to cushion his fall. Grinning to himself, he dashed forward to help the other heroes.

Jadeite ran through the temple. Skidding on the floor, he reached the quarters Raye had given him. Hurriedly he searched for the control he had been using to drain energy from the city.

"Where do you think you're going!?"

Jadeite looked up. "Mistress Raye! I was just-"

"So your real name is Jadeite, and you're the evil I sensed earlier!" Raye advanced on him.

Jadeite decided to drop the act. "I'm disappointed you didn't sense me earlier, pathetic human!" he taunted. "Thanks to you and your ridiculous temple, I was able to drain the energy of thousands of humans in this wasteland you call a city." Finding the control, he slid it into his pocket.

"I won't let you harm another innocent life, evil one!"

Jadeite smirked. "And just how do you, a lone unpowered human, plan do stop me?"

With a flash of blinding speed, Raye drew a katana from the depths of her robe, severing one of Jadeite's fingers as she swung it at his neck, carving a deep gash in his flesh.

Screaming, Jadeite charged her. Raye dashed to the side, slashing at him again and again. Gashes opened up on Jadeite's body, driving him back down the hallway.

"YOU! WILL! NOT! TAKE! ONE! MORE! LIFE!" Raye roared, working herself into a battle frenzy as she swung the sword. Energy began to crackle around her as she pressed the attack, forcing Jadeite to retreat like the wounded animal he was. A feral scream tore from Raye's throat as she became angrier and angrier. From out in the courtyard, Luna felt a disturbance. Tearing her eyes away from the fight, she bounded into the temple.

Raye continued to rain down blows on the fleeing Jadeite, tearing flesh from his body with the katana. One of her blows tore his robe, causing the control to clatter to the floor. Luna rounded a corner and gasped in amazement. On Raye's forehead was a crescent symbol, blazing with power. With one mighty stroke, Raye stepped forward and punched Jadeite in the jaw, knocking him out.

"Raye!" Luna cried, quickly spawning a TAG. Raye turned to face Luna, surprised. Luna launched the TAG at her. Raye caught it. "Say the phrase 'Mars Power!'"

Raye raised the TAG above her head. "MARS POWER!"

The TAG surged to life, activating the power stored in the underlying structure of Raye's body. Raye felt an instant, eternal surge of pure energy blast through her being, rebuilding her body into an ancient warrior. In an instant, Raye was no more, and in her place stood Sailor Mars.

"Go! Your fire powers are needed outside!" Luna ordered.

Activating her fire, the newly activated Sailor Mars dashed back the way she had come, scooping up Jadeite's control just in case.

In a blast of flame, Sailor Mars shot through the doorway, slamming the back of the drone with a beam of fire. The drone turned to face her. Sailor Moon slammed it with a sonic scream, knocking it over.

Sailor Mars danced through the battle, wielding the fires as an extension of her body. Zoisite's female body crumpled before her power, screaming in pain. Jason slammed her face with his staff. The male body flew and scooped her up. Flying away into the sky, both bodies screamed something unintelligible before disappearing back to the Negaverse.

Gathering her strength, Sailor Mars unleashed a flood of fire, burning the drone to a crisp. "Finish it!" Tuxedo Mask cried. Sailor Moon summoned her tiara and threw it with all her might. The weapon slammed into the weakened creature, disintegrating it into harmless dust.

It was over.

Silence descended on the world.

Sailor Mars looked around at the ensemble of costumed heroes. "Would someone mind telling me what's going on?"

Night was descending on the temple. Cleanup was almost done. And the new Sailor Mars was up to speed.

It was fortunate that the temple was relatively distant from the general populace. The noise from the battle had gone almost completely unnoticed. Raye's grandfather had taken down the sign advertising charms after the stock ran out, so no one new came to the temple during the fight. This gave the heroes time to rest and repair what damage they could. Well, most of them. Tuxedo Mask, in his flamboyant way, had bid Sailor Moon adieu and left them after the drone was destroyed, leaving the rest of them to explain everything to Sailor Mars.

"That's one weird story," she commented as Luna concluded the tale.

"Believe me, you get used to it," Serena told her.

"What I don't understand is how I couldn't detect you," Luna told Raye. "My senses have never failed to alert me of this sort of thing."

"I believe I have the answer," Jason said, coming up to them. "The energies of this anomaly are all but invisible to unpowered humans. But after mentally reviewing the Moon Kingdom science in my memory, I've calculated that they would have a powerful effect on a dormant Sailor Scout. Constant exposure to an anomaly of this nature would result in a dormant Sailor Scout being imbued with additional abilities, most notably in her Ground State."

"That explains my visions." Raye realized. "It also explains some of the other things I can do."

"A Sailor Scout affected by the anomaly would be altered, resulting in different physical attributes; traits that traditional methods of detecting dormant Sailor Scouts wouldn't recognize," Jason continued.

"Is that good or bad?" Raye asked.

"Your additional abilities appear beneficial. Sailor Scouts are unusually resilient to negative effects from this type of anomaly."

"I think I did it!" Amy announced, joining them. She held the remote in the air as she approached them. "It wasn't easy, but I managed to reverse this device Jadeite was using to gather energy from the charms. One flip of this switch will send all the energy back into the wearers."

"Well done, Amy!" Luna praised. Jason silently nodded his congratulations.

Amy beamed. "The hardest part was figuring out how to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow-"

"Okay, okay!" Serena said, holding up her hands. "Are you gonna do it or not?"

"Here it goes. Cross your fingers for me!" Amy flipped the switch. The device hummed, sending the energy back to its owners. Then it was silent. Amy dropped it to the ground and crushed it under her heel.

"I'm very proud of all of you," Luna told the Sailor Scouts. "You showed real courage today against overwhelming odds. I'm proud that you carry the names Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Mars." The Scouts smiled joyfully.

They didn't notice Jason slipping away. The fallen hero halfheartedly twirled his staff as he considered some things. As he slipped past Raye's grandfather performing a cleansing ritual against the "evil spirits" that had attacked the temple, he planned his next moves. Tomorrow would bring a new day to hunt for the next Sailor Scout. But tonight, he would rest. He would go home. He would repair his weapons and armor. He would take a relaxing rainwater shower. He would climb into bed. And he would forget the events of today as he drifted into a deep slumber where only the monsters of the mind yet lived.

**Next time...**

**A midnight hunt. A deadly race. An innocent life hanging in the balance.**

**As the hunt for dormant Sailor Scouts continues, a perilous pursuit unfolds in the heart of the city at midnight. Zoisite has gathered a squadron of powerful drones with the sole intend of ending a life before the sun rises. As the two-bodied menace closes in, two kindred spirits must join forces if they are to survive a night in the City of Eyes.**

**The most intense battle yet ignites in Legends of Lightstorm Saga 1 Episode 5: Lightning Round**


End file.
